by Dan | Apr 19, 2026 | Etc.
It has been quite a week. I have been learning lots of new things! I made it to Wednesday night run club–I have not been at it since Covid–but now I have time. It was a great turnout.
Tuesday night I went to my first camera club meeting. I was very reluctant to go at first and was very nervous because I don’t have all the fancy equipment, or even knowledge to use it. But I like taking pictures. Everyone was very laid back, showing and telling what their interests were. Talk about some amazing photos! I learned things already that first night, and have been practicing some with it since. The theme for next month’s meeting I got to pick: Reflections! This should fit right up my alley! I have been experimenting already with different techniques with the camera.
Thursday morning was a monthly meeting of retired doctors–“Doctor’s without offices”! We just meet once a month for coffee and discussion, and talk about days of practice, and what to all do with retirement. If was very fun seeing these people again. Many I had not worked with for quite a few years now. I am looking forward to this over time.
Yesterday we went to Huron for an author’s conference at the Library there. Megan was one of the speakers! She did great! It was an opportunity to hear about different authors from the state, and about their writing. The theme of the conference was “Find your Joy!” It was very fun, and interesting to hear about other people’s thoughts on writing, and creating a book. I learned some things from all of this. I have been chipping away at writing my “medical thriller”. Will see how this keeps going. They also have a writer’s club that meets monthly in Watertown, and I am planning on going for the first time this coming Tuesday. Same thing, nervous because I don’t know what to expect, but I am going in with the mindset of just hearing about other author’s thoughts on writing, and how they come up with topics!
I have spent a lifetime being a lifetime learner. I don’t see this changing in retirement. But one thing is for now, I am getting to learn new things that are of interest to me that I never had time to work on before. I am loving it! Who knows what the future holds in store going forward. The sky is the limit! The only thing blocking any ideas is what is between my ears. This is the part that is really exciting to think about. Now is the time to learn new things. Be adventurous. Sometimes it may not be comfortable, or anxiety free. This is where strength comes from. If you quit learning, you quit living…
Overall, it is just like running…some days everything falls into place, and other days it is a struggle. Those struggles lead to knowledge, gained from experience, which leads to growth. It may not always be obvious at the time…
So keep showing up. Keep trying. Keep living. Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day of newest streak: # 781
by Dan | Apr 12, 2026 | Etc.
My daughter, Megan, recently shared her word for the year: Patience.
It got me thinking. What should mine be? At first, I kept coming back to the word “steady”. That’s who I’ve always tried to be. Steady in my work. Steady in my routines. Steady for my patients, my family, and the people around me. For over 30 years as a Family Physician, steady wasn’t just a word…it was part of my identity. You show up. You do the work. You stay consistent. People count on that.
But this year feels different. Retirement now. A different pace. A different schedule. Different responsibilities. Even different ways of being active. And I realized something as I kept going back and forth between “steady” and another word that kept surfacing…Adapt.
At first, it felt like I had to choose between the two. Stay steady…and learn to adapt. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that maybe it’s not one or the other. Maybe it’s both! Steady is who I am. Adapt is what I’m learning to do. I don’t need to relearn how to be steady. That part of me was built over years…in early mornings, long clinic days, difficult conversations, and showing up when people needed me most. That doesn’t go away because the job title does. But adapting? That’s new. Adapting to retirement. Adapting to a slower pace. Adapting to not being “the doctor” in the same way anymore. Adapting to new rhythms at home and with family. Adapting physically…even in how I exercise. For years, running was my outlet. Right now, the running has been slow. I am now learning Tai Chi. That’s not something I ever pictured myself doing. But it’s what I have been doing every day for the last 5 weeks. I am able to do it. I can slow down…which is the key in Tai Chi. And maybe that’s the point. Adaption isn’t about becoming someone different. It’s about learning how to live well in a different season.
Deep down, I will always be a runner. And, if I’m honest, part of me still wants things to feel the way they used to. There’s comfort in that. But life doesn’t work that way. It keeps moving. It keeps changing. And at some point, we have to decide whether we’re going to resist that…or grow into it. I’m choosing, or at least trying, to grow into it. Not perfectly. But intentionally.
So, if I had to choose a word for the year, it would be: ADAPT! But not at the expense of who I’ve always been. But because I believe this: You can remain steady in your values, your faith, and your character…while adapting to whatever life is asking of you next. And maybe that’s what this season is really about. Not starting over…but continuing forward: Steady…and learning to adapt! Eventually, I will post pictures of me doing Tai Chi…once I get more coordinated with it! But, I keep moving. And you should too! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day of Newest Streak: # 774
by Dan | Apr 5, 2026 | Etc.
Doctor’s Day was Monay March 30. For the first time in decades…it passed quietly.
No schedule built around clinic. No patients. No spending time with my nurse or staff. Just another day. I have to admit, it felt a little strange.
Over the past month, I’ve been slowly stepping away from medicine after more than 3 decades. Not abruptly, but in pieces. I knew after retiring, things would change. I expected it. But it still seemed strange when it was all coming at once. A letter arrived this week stating I no longer have privileges at Prairie Lakes. I no longer get emails. My picture on the wall is down. Tuesday night Prairie Lakes had a celebration for Doctor’s Day. I went with Sarah as her +1. After years of being Doctor Dan, I have been promoted to “+1”. It was strange, but it was good! I still got to go, yet I had no other responsibilities in relation to medicine. None of these moments are dramatic on their own. But together, they carry a quiet message: That chapter is over. And even when it’s the right decision–and I believe it is–there’s still something in the process in that realization.
Medicine has a way of becoming more than a career: It becomes part of how you see yourself. Part of how others see you. Part of how your days are structured, how your mind works, how you carry your responsibility. For years, I woke up knowing there were people who needed me that day. Now, the only one who consistently needs me in the morning is the coffee pot…and even that feels optional some days. Doctor’s day gave me a chance to reflect on the privilege of caring for others. This week, it became something different. It became a moment to look back.
I thought about the thousands of patient encounters over the years. The conversations. The diagnoses. The uncertainty. The trust that patients placed in me–something I never took lightly. I thought about the colleagues I worked alongside, the teams we built, the systems we tried to improve. And I thought about how much medicine shaped me, not just as a physician, but as a person. But I also realized something else. Doctor’s Day isn’t really about recognition. It’s about remembrance. Remembrance of the privilege it is to be invited into someone’s life at a moment when they need help. That doesn’t go away when the title does. This past year, being on the other side of the stethoscope again–dealing with my own health issues, and Sarah’s, has reminded me of that in a deeper way. It’s one thing to care for patients. It’s another to sit in a waiting room, to wait for answers, to rely on others. That perspective changes you. It also gives you a new appreciation for the phrase, “This may take a few minutes”.
So yes–this Doctor’s Day was different. Quieter. More reflective. Maybe even a little emotional. But it also felt…complete. Not in a sense of being finished, but in a sense of being fulfilled. I may not practice medicine anymore. But I will always be grateful that I had the opportunity to do it. And I will always carry what it taught me. Sometimes, the most meaningful chapters of life don’t end with a big moment. They end quietly. And maybe that’s exactly how they’re meant to.
So, for now, I focus on the things in my life that are the most important. My family. My health. Learning new things and taking on different adventures, whether these adventures occur at home or away. My daughter Megan had a word for her life for this year: Patience. Next week I will talk about my word for the year. So, take care of yourselves. Strive to Survive. Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day of Newest streak: # 767
by Dan | Mar 29, 2026 | Etc.
Things are starting to get into a little more of a groove now. Sarah was able to start working, and has progressing well. We got her strength built up by helping to go walk Dakota.
There are lots of things to get done at home. I have been able to fix a lot of things with having some time off. Things are being organized. I love the warm days out as I can get things done outside. The cold days brings me back in the house. I just keep chipping away. Sarah keeps asking me what is my “agenda” for the day. There are usually a few things on it, and then the rest is what I have time for. I am still making time to work out. I have been in my garage with the “Reiflex Center” every day.
I have also been working on “Tai Chi”. (No pictures of this yet!) Now, if you would have asked me that years ago I would have laughed. It is now an event at the National Senior Games. I started checking it out. I definitely feel it. It helps with balance, flexibility, control, movement. I can definitely tell it on my abdomen! Some moves are relatively quick to learn, and others I have to break down and learn step by step. It is fun, and I am learning something new!
I still have time to go take pictures. This past week I had pictures yet with ice out on the lake, and now the ice is completely off!
I will just keep learning new things. I am spending time working on my book. It will be a lengthy process, but fun. But again, you just keep chipping away! I have been doing more cooking, and the grocery shopping. I have not burned anything…yet! Experiment with things. I see people I know at the grocery store every time! Well, we are not consistently back to warm days all of the time, but when they do come, they are great. I got the bikes ready to go, and we were going to go on Saturday, but the wind was absolutely ridiculous outside, so we held off. We went for a walk again, and managed to at least keep our heads on yet! Adventures await! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day of Newest Streak: # 760
by Dan | Mar 22, 2026 | Etc.
It has been incredibly busy this week. Many highlights. Sarah’s Birthday is St. Patrick’s Day, so I took her out to eat to celebrate, and then our daughter and son-in-law did again on Thursday! We need to have more birthdays!! Then the grandkids came for the weekend. Always a good time. We have been increasing the walking with Sarah but she still has a 15# weight lifting restriction, so she can’t pick up any of the grandkids. She got to hold them, and have them sit on her lap though. We celebrated Easter early with them and hid eggs, decorated eggs, blew bubbles, and did side walk chalk. Go! Go! Go!
Caleb continues to heal up from his cleft lip surgery! He is such a snuggler! But when it is time to eat, look out!!
We need Sunday now just to recuperate! It was a great week, taking it easy, healing, recovering, enjoying now these last few days of the weather–Wow!!! The grandkids can just go outside and we watch them when we get tired. The grandkids wait until night time, and then they crash and burn! Enjoy the weather. Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day of Newest Streak: # 753
